Country Israel Relegation to Liga Alef TV partners Sport 5 Number of teams 16 Date founded 1955 Confederation UEFA (Europe) | Level on pyramid 2 Current champions Ironi Ashdod
(2015–16) Website football.org.il Current champion F.C. Ashdod Promotion to Israeli Premier League | |
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Domestic cups Israel State Cup, Toto Cup Teams Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, Hapoel Petah Tikva FC, Hapoël Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Bnei Lod FC, Maccabi Netanya FC | ||
Liga Leumit (Hebrew: ליגה לאומית, lit. National League) is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.
Contents
Structure
There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Liga Alef while the two highest-placed teams from Liga Alef are promoted in their place. The two highest-placed Liga Leumit teams are promoted to the Israeli Premier League while the bottom two teams from Israeli Premier League are relegated in their place.
The participating clubs were first play a conventional round-robin schedule for a total of 30 matches, with all points accumulated by the clubs are halved.
Following this, the top eight teams will first play in a promotion playoff. To determine the promoted teams. and the eight clubs play a single round-robin schedule.
The Israeli State Cup winners qualify for the third qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.
In addition, the bottom eight teams play out to avoid two relegation spots.
Television
Since the 2010–11 season, One match is broadcast live on Sport +5 LIVE channel on Friday or Saturday afternoons. The rest of the matches has no TV cover.
History
Liga Leumit came into existence at the start of the 1955–56 season, replacing Liga Alef as the top division in Israeli football. However, it was usurped as the top flight in the 1999–2000 season, when it was replaced by the Premier League. Since then it has operated as the second tier in the Israeli football league system.